The Final Goodbye
by Lois Joanne Lane
Summary: A one-shot. Lana Lang reminisces on her past. She thinks back to her final goodbye with Clark. After Requiem. This is my first one-shot, please let me know what you think. Thanks!


**A/N: I don't own Smallville or any of it's characters. Some ideas and quotes/dialogue came from seasons 2, 4, 5, 6, and 8.**

Sitting in an empty room, Lana was left with nothing but bittersweet memories of her past. She and Clark had made a conscious decision to sacrifice their relationship to save a city; she knew that they would make that decision again, because they were both driven to do this even if they couldn't do it together. But that decision sealed their fate forever. That decision took away everything they had dreamed of but most of all it took them away from one another for good.

She remembered hearing Lex's voice tell them, "Do you know what people remember about the greatest star – crossed romances? Not how the lovers met, but the way the relationship tragically ended. The skin Lana's wearing is designed to absorb enough meteor rock…that you'll never be able to go near her again." He continued on to say, "Clark, it's time for you to face your defining moment. You can walk away, sacrificing innocent lives to stay together…or defuse the bomb and sacrifice your love forever."

There was a time when Lana had loved Lex; a time when she fooled herself into believing that she could live happily ever after with the handsome billionaire. She had convinced herself she could tame a Luthor and the one man who was not capable of love could love her unconditionally. She fooled herself into believing that he was enough, enough to last a lifetime. Though her head told her all these things, her heart was feeling something entirely different; it felt Clark, though she tried to fight it every step of the way.

Reminiscing on what happened hours later in the barn, she remembered all too well the painful memory of saying her final goodbye to the man she had loved her entire life. In that moment she was killing him not intentionally, but she was killing him nonetheless. He was relentless though and he was not going to give up until he got that kiss. And the only word Lana could manage to say as he was walking towards her was his name, "Clark."

Slowly and very painfully he made it to her. Holding on to her shoulders to brace himself for the last kiss he would ever receive from Lana Lang. As soon his lips touched hers the kryptonite began to flow into his veins and it was something that once started would not stop until he broke away from her. But he knew better then to release her from this kiss…because it would be the last time they would ever touch again.

Years later as she was sitting all alone in her bedroom she would reminisce on this very moment. All the times they had said, "Goodbye" before palled in comparison to this one. This one was killing him and it was killing her hope for love again. Within the past eight years she had lost four loves, beginning with the death of Whitney, then the death of Jason, the love had fallen apart with Lex, and now finally the only man that could ever make her truly happy was being ripped away from her.

How was this possible; how could this be happening? It had only been three years ago when Clark had told her, "I don't love you!" But despite telling him, "It was over, forever!" she came back to him a year later. All those times he had hurt her to protect his secret and all the times she had hurt him didn't matter anymore. They were just mere memories of her tumultuous past with him. A past that not for one minute did she ever regret because every mistake and every heart break brought her to where she was today. Though it didn't bring much solace to her these days seeing as she was all alone left with memories of a love torn apart.

In those final moments he had told her, "what they have was beautiful!" He had asked her, "not leave again; even if they couldn't be together, he wanted her in his life." But she wasn't as strong as he was, she couldn't live her life seeing him every day and not being able to touch him. She knew that it she had to leave and he had begun to kiss her one last time. She wanted to remember this very moment forever even though it would be the moment that was the most heartbreaking. Though it was a bittersweet moment it was also the most loving and tender kiss she had ever received. As their lips touched for the last time and their tongues had intertwined with one another seeking the familiar kisses they had shared. He was taking her very breath away as he cupped her cheeks and kissed her passionately with more love than she had ever felt from anyone. But then again he was Clark Kent and how could she expect anything less.

But just as she was beginning to take his breath away he pulled back from her. He had absorbed too much kryptonite and his body couldn't take it as he fell to his knees. All she could do was cry and walk away. Her final words were, "Goodbye Clark Kent." But there was one thing left to say, one thing she couldn't walk away without letting him know. And those words were, "That night at the cemetery, when I introduced you to my mom and dad…you told me that I would never be alone…that my mom would always be watching over me. If we're in each other's hearts, Clark…I will always be with you. No matter what, I love you."

It was after those words that she took her final steps down those stairs she had climbed so many times. As she left, Clark managed to muster the words, "I love you." This was truly their final goodbye. Just like their love had been a rollercoaster, painful, happy, sad, so was their final goodbye. Lana began to drift to sleep as she remembered all those moments he had taken her breath away and though she had lost him physically he would always be with her in her heart. As she lay their sleeping she heard a voice in her dreams, saying, "I love you Lana Lang."


End file.
